Horseshoe



July 14, 1925.

L.WHALEY HORSESHOE Fie' Dec 26, 1923 Patented July 14, 1925.

LOUIS WHAEY', or MILWAUK'EE, WISooNsIN.

HoRsEs'HoE.

Application fiiea December 26, 1823. serial u'o. 682,658.

To all 'zu/wm, it may oowern;

Be it known that I, LOUIS VHALEY, a citizen of the United States, and r'esident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful mprovenientsl in Horseshoes; and I do hereby declare that the following` is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to horseshoes, and is particularly directed to a horseshoe adapted for winter service.

It is a matter of common knowledge that great difliculty has been experienced in driving horses upon sleety pavements or roadways due to the insecure footing attained by the horse, ancl the consequent danger of falling and also 'due to the relatively severe repeated jar transmitted to the horsels foot due to the breaking of small portions of the ice or slipping of the horse,s feet. This is especially true when horeshoes provided with sharpened calks are employed asthese calks cut through the' ice and are suddenly arrested by contacting` either with the firiner portion of the ice or with the solid portion of the paveinent. In other words, the horse7s feet are subjected to a multitude of relatively severe jolts when the shoe is equipped with calks and when the horse is driven o-ver a sleet-y pavement. This invention is designed to overcome the above-noted defects.

The objects of this invention are to provide a horseshoe which may be readily attached to the hoof in the usual manner, which is equipped with a removable front calk adapted to bite into the ice or other slippery material, which is provided with a resilient heel portion to aiford a substantial cushio'ning action, which is provided with vmeans normally retaining the cushioned heel and the front calk in position, but which is so constructed as to permit the ready removal and replacing of either the front calk or the resilient heel portion.

Further objects are to provide means for securing a wedging action with reference to the removable cushioned heel portion, or the front calk, so that when weight is placed 'upon the shoe these portions will be even more firmly attached to the body portion of the shoe.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accoinpanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is avertical sectional view taken longitudinally of the horseshoe, Vsuch view corresponding to a section on the line l'-'1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the shoe; and

Fig. 3 is a real' view thereof.

f The shoe coinprises a main body portion 1, which may be provided with a plurality of nail-receiving openings 2, and with a front lip 3' adapted to b'e folded up against the front of the horsels hoof when the shoe .is applied. This body portion is in effect a continuous ring' and extends in unbroken continuity completely around the out-line of the hoof, as shown in Fig. 2. It is provided adjacent its front portion with a tapered aperture 4 and with downwardly extendingprojectin` or thickenedportion 5 provided with a tapered front face. A removable front. calk 6 of material extent is provided and is equipped with a tapered pin 7 adapted to fit within the tapered aperture 4; This calk is also provided with a tapered rear face 7' adapted to wedge against the tapered pfortion of the' lug or thickened part 5 of the shoe. This calk, it will be seen, wedges both inthe apertur'e 4 and against the tapered face' described above and thus is securely retained in position upon the under side of the body portion, and is prevented from turning by contacting with the thickened portion 5 which, as may be seen from Fig. 2, extends the full width of the front calk 6. However, this front calk may be readily removed by inserting an instrument between the calk and the body portion 1 and prying it loose and a new calk may be instantly substituted.

A pair of rearwardly extending lugs 8 are carried by the lower face of the body portion 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and are spaced a slight distance from the body portion. They are preferably located slightly rearwardly of the transverse center line.

A U-shaped piece 9 is provided which approximately conforms to the Contour of the body portion from one lug 8 around the rear portion of the shoe to the other lug 8. This member 9 is provided with slightly offset ends 10 which are adapted to fit beneath the lugs 8, as indicated in Fig. 1. A piece of rubber or other yielding material 12 is interposed between the member 9 and the body portion 1. This member 9 is provided approXima-tely centrally with an upstanding tapered pin or lug 18 which fits and wedges within a correspondingly tapered aperture 14 formed in the body portion 1. The relative` proportio'ns of the parts are such that the ends 10 wedge beneath the lugs 8 when the pin 13 is forced into position, thus causing a binding action to occur and aiding in firmly and securely retaining 'the member 9 in position. The member 9 is provided with an elongated rubber pad or rubber heel-15 which is vulcanized in place upon the lower side of the member. This rnbber heel may be roughened on its under side by suitable projections or ribs. If desired, the member 9 may be provided with a plurality ofprojeetions 16 (see Fig. 3) which aid in the attaching of the rubber heel 15 in position during vulcanizing.

It is to be notedfrom reference to Fig. 3 that the 'body portion 1 is provided centrally of its rear part with a downwardly curved enlargement 17, and that the st-rap member 9 is similarly Curved. This aids in securely holding the body portion and the member 9 in their relative positions and prevents slipping` of one of the parts with relation to the other, such curved4 portions, in other words, aiding` the. pin 18 in retaining` the member in place.

In using this horseshoe it has been found thatthe front callrs provide an. excellentgrip' upon' the icy street and that theV cushioned lheel 15 aids inl such action. Further than this, the shock whlch is incident to drivmg over an ic-y pavement 1s taken up by the -cushioned heel portion of the shoe and consequently lameness does not result. The cushioning strip 12 prevents olattering of the shoe as it forms a padding between the member 9 and the body portion.

It Will thus be seen that a horseshoe has been provided which is eminently suited for Winter use, which Will insure a firm and secure grip upon an icy surface, and which will relieve the horse of a large amount of unne'cessary and undesirable jarring.

Although the invention has been described inconsiderable detail, it is to be understood that the invention maybe variousiy embodied, and is therefore to be limited only as claimed.

claim:

1. A horseshoe comprising a ring-like body portion. having a rear tapered aperture, al U-shaped member positioned beneath the rear of said body porti'on and having van npwardly extendingtapered pin adapted to be positioned Within said rear aperture,

lugs carried by said body portion and engaging the front of said U-shaped member, and a resilient heel portion secured to said ,U-shaped member. z

.2. A ho'rseshoe comprising` a ring-like body portion 'having a reartapered aperture, a U-shaped member positioned beneath the rear of said body portion and having` van upvvardly extending tapered pin adapted VLOUIS WHALEY. 

